


I Need You Now

by centreoftheselights



Series: Somebody Save Me [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Established Relationship, Ex-Supervillain Virgil Sanders, Fear, Hostage Patton Sanders, Hostage Situations, Hugging, Kidnapped By Supervillain, Kidnapping, M/M, Peril, Relief, Reunions, Superhero Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Superhero Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Supervillain Critic (Sanders Sides), Tied To A Chair, Trust, Used As Bait, superhero fight, superpower fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24683197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centreoftheselights/pseuds/centreoftheselights
Summary: Patton gets kidnapped by a supervillain who's targeting his superhero boyfriends.
Relationships: LAMP - Relationship
Series: Somebody Save Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776394
Comments: 39
Kudos: 266
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Centreoftheselights' Bad Things Happen Bingo 2020





	I Need You Now

**Author's Note:**

> One of my [Bad Things Happen Bingo prompts](https://potestessemagishomosexualitatis.tumblr.com/tagged/bad-things-happen-bingo):
> 
> imma give you the free space: used as bait. Some bad guy kidnaps Patton to try to get to his superhero boyfriend; little does he know Patton has *3* superhero boyfriends and they are none too happy about their love being taken from them. (Bonus: "get out of here, it's a trap!" "We know." "You're crazy if you think we're gonna leave you." "We're always gonna come for you, dear")
> 
> This is in the same AU as one of my other fills, but it should make total sense as a standalone!

“You'll never get away with this!” Patton cried, struggling against the bonds which kept him tied to a chair.

“Really? That's what you're going for? A little cliché, don't you think?”

The villain in black gave Patton a flat look, his disdain clear even through his mirrored sunglasses. He had been haughty and over-critical ever since Patton had woken up in his lair several hours ago after being drugged on the way home from work.

Patton was rapidly coming to the conclusion that this was _not_ a very nice person.

“When this gets reported and the superheroes come for me –” he began.

“You mean your little boyfriends?” the Critic said, dismissively. “Yes, I know all about your little ménage à quatre with our little city's two big-name vigilantes. Why did you think you were here?”

Patton swallowed heavily.

“I don't know what you mean,” he said, the lie sounding weak even to him.

“Let's reinvent a classic,” the Critic continued. “Superheroes, kidnapped loved one… can you see where I'm going with this?”

A chill ran down Patton's spine.

“They won't fall for it,” he insisted. “Whatever trap you have planned, they'll outsmart you.”

The villain scoffed, his expression smug as he swigged his coffee.

“Uh huh? Cause people always think calmly and clearly when their loved ones are in danger.”

Patton's heart was racing in his chest. If one of his boyfriends got hurt trying to rescue him –

There was a distant crash, the sound of glass breaking.

The Critic smiled.

“Right on cue.”

About half a second later, an enormous ball of shadows punched through the door, sending a shower of splinters crashing into the air in every direction. Before the dust had cleared, in shot a glittering beam of light, so bright that it left trails of ghostglow across Patton's vision – and then, there he was.

Roman. Or rather, The Rainbow Knight – facing down the villain in his iridescent armour, crystalline visor across his face, his stance wide and both hands holding the hilt of his sword. For a moment, there was no blade – but then Roman's power wrapped around it, shimmering rainbows pouring out of him to form a weapon of solid, gleaming, white light.

“Release him,” Roman demanded, the usual lightness gone from his voice.

“Hmm… two stars on the entrance. Flashy, but over-rehearsed.”

Roman took a threatening step forward, but the Critic shook his head, holding up a small electronic device in his hand.

“Uh uh uh! Not so fast there. You do _not_ want to know what happens to your little boy-toy if I press this button.”

Roman froze in place immediately, looking stricken.

“Patton!” he called out. “Are you okay? Has he hurt you?”

“He drugged me to knock me out… he hasn't done anything else.” Patton bit his lip. “Honey, I don't think you should be here. He said he had some kind of plan, I think he's gonna –”

“Enough yattering!” Critic cut in. “This is supposed to be an action scene.”

Roman squared his shoulders.

“I'm going to get you home safely, Pat. I promise.” He turned back to the Critic. “What do you want, you malodorous malefactor?”

Patton felt a gentle tug against his bound wrists, the familiar cool touch of Virgil's shadows creeping over his skin. He kept very still, trying not to do anything to draw Critic's attention back to him.

“Well, first things first… I'd like your little sidekick to come out of the shadows and stop trying to free my hostage while you distract me.”

With a low snarl, Virgil jumped down from the rafters, landing on Critic's other side. In his pitch black uniform as Umbra, it was impossible to tell where he ended and where the living shadows began as they roiled across his skin and flared out behind him like a cloak.

“Come on, we all saw that plot twist coming.” The Critic tutted. “The whole city knows that you two are partners in life and in love. Of course, I was into Erebos here when he was still underground… if you know what I mean.”

Virgil bristled at the mention of his old villain moniker, but the Critic simply sneered.

“If you ask me, you did some of your best work solo. The last few years have been a waste of your potential.”

Virgil scowled. “So what, you committed felony kidnapping in order to give me a bad review?”

“More or less.” The Critic smirked. “All I really wanted was to look you in the eyes –” He lowered his mirrored sunglasses, revealing his eyes for the first time, and they shone like polished silver – “and tell you: with your talent? I could do better.”

Virgil staggered back suddenly as though struck. For a moment, Patton couldn't see why – but then he noticed the mass of shadows lurching forwards, pulling away from Virgil in order to pool around the Critic's feet, forming a whorling mass of darkness. Virgil fell to his knees, looking small and fragile, his costume little but a T-shirt and jeans without his ever-present shadows to armour him.

The Critic held up a hand, allowing a writhing ball of dark energy to form there.

“Much better,” he said appreciatively, before hurling the ball at Roman.

Patton struggled against his bonds, desperate to help his boyfriends. Virgil was on the ground, coughing weakly, seeming as though all the strength had been drained out of him. Roman traded blows with the critic, thick and fast, his light sparking across Patton's vision – but he was clearly shocked, on the defensive. Patton watched helplessly as a tendril of shadow pulled the sword out of Roman's grip and tossed it aside.

“Give up,” the Critic told him. “He was always stronger than you. He could have killed you long ago… if he hadn't gotten soft.”

Roman looked across at Virgil, who gave a slight nod. Then, with a roar of rage, Roman ducked, rolling past the Critic, pelting him with loose bolts of light which blurred prismatically in the air, dispersing the shadows wherever they hit. He managed to drive Critic back against the wall, a spray of shining darts pinning him in place.

“You don't know the first thing about him, or me,” Roman snarled.

“I know who you love,” the Critic shot back. “Or had you forgotten?”

He waved his hand, the remote still held tight in his grip.

Patton's jaw clenched. _No! He wouldn't let himself be the reason that this – this_ butthole _got away with hurting Virgil!_

“Don't listen to him!” he shouted at Roman.

Roman turned to him, and gave him a warm look.

“Well,” he said, turning back to the captive villain. “You heard the man. Go ahead. Press the button.”

Critic snarled. “You're going to regret this!”

All at once, everything inside Patton went still and quiet. It was like watching the world in slow motion as the Critic's finger closed over the remote, pressing down firmly.

And absolutely nothing happened.

“What?” Critic jammed at the button again. “No, I –”

“You said you knew who I loved,” Roman interrupted him. “I think you'll find you forgot someone.”

Logan stepped out from behind a crate. With a wave of his hand, the remote control crackled with electricity, making the Critic yelp in pain and drop it.

“You're finished,” he said coldly. “I suggest you come quietly.”

The Critic sagged against his bonds, looking defeated. For a moment, everyone was still.

Then Logan rushed to Patton's side.

“Patton!” he said quickly. “Are you injured? You weren't hit on the head, were you?”

“Even if I was, I'd heal pretty quick!” Patton quipped. “What are you doing here? I didn't think you were a field agent.” And, now he thought of it, it was funny that Logan was in street clothes instead of a proper vigilante uniform.

Logan coughed slightly, and moved to start untying Patton's bonds.

“I am not technically registered for field work,” he admitted. “But I have completed the requisite combat training… and you were in danger.”

“I'm so sorry, Pat, you must have been so frightened.” Roman came rushing over, the Critic now imprisoned in power-nullifying handcuffs. “I didn't mean to scare you like that!”

“How do you mean?” Patton asked, confused.

“When I told him to press the button – I knew Logan had disabled the trap, I promise, I wouldn't have risked you for even a moment –”

Patton chuckled softly to himself.

“Well, I know that, honey. I wasn't afraid.”

“You weren't?” Logan asked sharply.

“Of course not!”

“Why not?”

Virgil had gotten to his feet enough to join them, but he was staggering under his own weight, his skin even paler than normal. Even though the Critic was imprisoned, he had only regained the faintest wisp of shadow.

“Vee!” The moment his hands were free, Patton reached for him, holding on tight and pushing as much healing energy as he could muster into his sweet and sour shadowling. A soft pulse of energy rippled over his skin, and suddenly he stood a little straighter, colour in his cheeks again.

“Don't change the subject,” Virgil protested lightly. “Why weren't you scared, Patton? That was a really dangerous situation, we'd understand if you were upset…”

Patton looked up at the faces of his three loves, finally understanding their worried looks.

“Oh, no, you don't understand!” he said. “I'm not trying to hide it. Being alone with that guy was awful, I was terrified! But after you guys showed up… I wasn't scared anymore. I knew that if you were here, everything would be okay. That you'd save me.”

Virgil went still. Logan let out a slow, shaky breath.

Roman gasped, and then gathered them all into a crushing hug.

“I am never, ever, ever letting any of you go, ever again!” he said.

Patton giggled. “I think I could be okay with that!”

“I mean, you could wash off the battle sweat first…” Virgil grumbled. But when Patton pouted at him he softened, leaning in to kiss Patton on the cheek. “Okay, so… debrief, then movie night?”

“That sounds. Agreeable.”

None of the others mentioned how thick Logan's voice sounded. Patton just wrapped his arms around them all tighter.

“I'm okay,” he murmured. “We're all okay. You saved me.”

And – even in the middle of the super-villain's lair – so long as he had his loves beside him, everything would be alright.


End file.
